The various uses of vegetal product derivinq from palmaceous plants and its various species (palm oil, coconut oil, coconuts, dates, etc.) are presently suffering considerable losses as a result insects attacks on plantation areas, mainly in equatorial, tropical, subtropical and/or warm areas of the planet.
The insects which mainly attack palm trees belong to the Coleoptera Curculionidae order, Rhynchophorinae, and the Oxyctes, Scapanes and, mainly, Rhynchophorus genera. Particularly, the Rhynchophorus palmarnum and Rhynchophorus ferrugineus species are curculionids which constitute a very serious pest affecting palm trees in humid equatorial and tropical zones of the globe. Recently, the R. ferrugineus species affecting date palms in the Middle East and Northern Africa has been detected in ornamental palm trees in the Málaga and Granada coast.
Numerous studies reveal that one of the few valid and efficient insect pest control methods available, particularly for preventing the insects natural expansion, consists in its mass-trapping.
In the case of curculionid pests affecting palm trees, the only prospective and/or control methods which have proven to be effective are based on the capture of adult insects of virtually damaging species both as a prognosis and a direct control method through mass-trapping. These methods use a vegetal bait combined with the added feromone of each species to be controlled. However, the ecology itself of the plantation environments provide for limited effectivity of said vegetal baits, in view that, under the best circumstances, bait life rarely exceeds 15 days, and it is therefore necessary to constantly replace the bait and to overcome operational difficulties which complicate the treatment and render it more ave. Moreover, vegetal baits provide irregular results because of the heterogeneity of the vegetal substance in the fermentation.
Thus, the need exists for other insert pest control methods based on the use of baits designed to attract insects that will overcome these inconveniences.
The invention provides a solution to this need based on the use of a composition attractive to insects formed of a semisynthetic combination comprising chemical products emitted from vegetal fermentation, in a natural manner, and from ground, mixed portions of the plants proper.
Therefore, an object of this invention consists in providing a semisynthetic mixture or combination comprising at least one organic compound emitted during the fermentation of vegetable portions of palm trees and related plants and a ground, fermented vegetal matter taken from said plants. The procedure for obtaining the mixture constitutes an additional object of the invention.
Another object of this invention consists in providing a composition attractive to insects that is appropriate for controlling pests of insects, pertaining to the Coleoptera order, in palm trees and related plants, comprising the above mentioned semisynthetic mixture and a feromone corresponding to the insect to be controlled. The procedure for obtaining said composition constitutes a further object of the invention.
Finally, another object of this invention consists in providing a method for controlling pests of insects pertaining to the Coleoptera order, in palm trees and related plants, which includes the use of said compositions that attract insects.